{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-bacon-introduce-first-ever-federal-foster-youth-bill", "Reps. Cleaver, Bacon Introduce First-Ever Federal Foster Youth Bill of Rights Resolution", "2023-06-14", "2023", "2023-06", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", "cleaver", "https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) and Don Bacon (R-NE), members of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, introduced the first-ever federal Foster Youth Bill of Rights Resolution, helping to ensure foster youth across America are informed about their rights while in foster care. While fifteen states and Puerto Rico have enacted their own Foster Youth Bill of Rights, foster youth rights vary across the country, with most states providing no guaranteed foster rights at all. The resolution introduced by Reps. Cleaver and Bacon is an effort to raise awareness for the existing rights that some states guarantee to foster youth, highlighting ten separate rights that should be afforded to foster youth nationwide.\n\n\u201cIn its current form, America\u2019s foster care system is highly fragmented and subject to widening degrees of differences depending on which state a child resides. However, no matter where a child comes from, there are some rights that ought to be fundamental to every kid in the foster care system\u2014and that\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to introduce the first-ever federal Foster Youth Bill of Rights with Congressman Bacon in the House of Representatives,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver. \u201cWhether it is the right to receive a quality education or the right to receive needed health services, there are some rights that must be guaranteed by the federal government to ensure the success of foster youth across the country. I believe our bipartisan Foster Youth Bill of Rights is a critical step toward enshrining these essential protections into law, and we\u2019ll continue working with our colleagues in Congress to guarantee these rights are afforded to foster kids across the country, not just those in Missouri or a select few other states.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a foster to adopt parent I know foster youth are an at-risk population through no fault of their own, and it is our responsibility to not only protect them, but to help them get the best outcome possible,\u201d said Rep. Bacon. \u201cThe creation of a Foster Youth Bill of Rights will empower them to effectively advocate for themselves and provide another layer of protections.\u201d\n\n\"The most important responsibility of parents, families, and communities, in partnership with child and family serving systems, is to prevent child abuse and maltreatment. When children must be separated from their families due to abuse, neglect, or parental incapacity, we must protect children and strengthen families to facilitate a fast and safe return. We must also ensure that children remain connected to their birth families if possible or with kinship, adoptive, or foster families so that they can benefit from lifelong connections,\" said Christine James-Brown, President and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America. \"CWLA is pleased to endorse the Foster Youth Bill of Rights Resolution and applauds Representatives Cleaver and Bacon in this effort to ensure that families, individuals, communities, organizations, and systems protect children from abuse and neglect, and provide an array of supports and services that help children, youth, and their families to accomplish developmental tasks, develop protective factors, and strengthen coping strategies.\"\n\n\"We express our gratitude for the leadership of Congressman Cleaver and Congressman Bacon in highlighting the ongoing importance of foster youth being informed about their rights while in foster care. More than a decade ago, current and former foster youth recognized that knowledge of their rights can safeguard them against vulnerabilities they face in the foster care system. In response, Congress took bipartisan action by enacting the federal requirement as part of the Preventing Sex Trafficking & Strengthening Families Act. However, despite these provisions, FosterClub has discovered that the majority of foster youth still lack awareness of their rights. It is crucial that further measures are taken to ensure that ALL foster youth are knowledgeable about their rights and empowered to advocate for them while in foster care. This resolution represents a significant step towards achieving that objective,\" said Celeste Bodner, Executive Director of FosterClub.\n\n\u201cHelping transition-age foster youth find success is an important part of what we do at Youth Villages, working in 23 states and the District of Columbia. We have the largest program in the country helping these resilient and capable young people. We believe that all foster youth should have the right to be actively involved in what happens to them, be aware of all their rights and be allowed to identify and reach for the goals they choose. Youth Villages commends Congressman Cleaver and Congressman Bacon for supporting these principles with the introduction of the Foster Youth Bill of Rights Resolution. While many of the states that we serve have Bills of Rights for foster youth, federal legislation can ensure the rights of young people in all states are protected, ensuring that every human service agency do all they can to empower foster youth as they transition to successful adulthood,\u201d said Patrick Lawler, CEO of Youth Villages.\n\nDue to America\u2019s deeply fragmented foster care system and underinvestment in foster youth, children in foster care are at a significant disadvantage, with only 50% of foster youth graduating high school and only 54% of insured foster youth receiving mental health care after experiencing a depressive episode.\n\nTo combat these disparities and strengthen America\u2019s foster care system, the Foster Youth Bill of Rights Resolution expresses Congress\u2019s belief that every foster youth should have the:\n\nRight to receive an education and remain in their original school, if desired;\n\nRight to participate in extracurricular, cultural, and social activities;\n\nRight to receive needed health services, including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, and mental health services;\n\nRight to freedom from abuse, neglect, or corporal punishment;\n\nRight to be represented by, and speak to, a guardian or attorney ad litem;\n\nRight to adequate and healthy food, adequate clothing, and a safe and comfortable living environment;\n\nRight to freedom from discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or disability;\n\nRight to have continued contact with siblings, if desired;\n\nRight to regular or at least reasonable contact with their assigned case worker or an employee of the agency responsible for their child welfare services; and the\n\nRight to be informed of their rights.\n\nThe Foster Youth Bill of Rights Resolution is endorsed by the National Foster Youth Institute, Child Welfare League of America, Human Rights for Kids, SchoolHouse Connection, FosterClub, MENTOR National, Youth Villages, and FosterAdopt Connect.\n\nThe Foster Youth Bill of Rights Resolution is cosponsored by Reps. Shontel Brown (D-OH), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Troy Carter (D-LA), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Chuck Edwards (R- NC), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Al Green (D-TX), Ra\u00fal Grijalva (D-AZ), French Hill (R-AR), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Katie Porter (D-CA), Linda T. S\u00e1nchez (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Terri Sewell (D-AL).\n\nOfficial text of the Foster Youth Bill of Rights Resolution is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:15:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-bacon-introduce-first-ever-federal-foster-youth-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0573449544608593, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}